Jehay-Bodegnée Castle

Jehay-Bodegnée Castle is a historic fortress located in the municipality of Amay within Liège Province, Wallonia, Belgium. While the site originally featured a medieval keep dating back to the 13th century, only the vaulted basements of that early structure remain today. The majority of the current building was constructed at the beginning of the 16th century. In the 19th century, the renowned architect Alphonse Balat extensively renovated and extended the property, imbuing it with a sober Gothic Revival architectural style that defines its present appearance.

The castle holds significant historical value due to its long association with the Counts van den Steen de Jehay, who have owned the estate since the late 17th century. A notable chapter in its history occurred in the 1940s when Count Guy van den Steen de Jehay inherited the property, describing it at the time as a dark and empty shell surrounded by uncultivated fields. Together with his wife, Lady Moyra Butler, he undertook a major restoration project starting in 1950, which included completely redesigning the gardens while preserving some 18th-century elements like chestnut groves. Following the Count's death in 1999, Liège Province acquired the castle and its extensive collections.

Currently, the domain serves as a cultural heritage site and museum, housing a rich interior collection of antique furniture, tapestries, paintings, and musical instruments. The grounds are generally open to visitors daily from April through October, excluding Mondays. However, access to the castle's interior has been periodically restricted to facilitate ongoing restoration efforts. The estate stands as a testament to centuries of regional history, blending medieval foundations with 16th-century construction and 19th-century artistic renewal.